Mirissa ( si, මිරිස්ස, translit=Mirissa; ta, மிரிஸ்ஸ, translit=Miris'sa) is a small town on the south coast of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, located in the

Matara District Matara ( si, මාතර දිස්ත්‍රික්කය ''Mātara distrikkaya''; ta, மாத்தறை மாவட்டம் ''Māttaṛai māvaṭṭam'') is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts ...

of the Southern Province. It is approximately south of

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

and is situated at an elevation of above sea level. Mirissa's beach and nightlife make it a popular tourist destination. It is also a fishing port and one of the island's main whale and dolphin watching locations.

History

Mirissa is the largest fishing port on the south coast and is known for its tuna, mullet, snapper, and butterfish. In 1980 the first tourist accommodation was built however it wasn't until the mid-1990s that tourism to the town started to dramatically increase. Mirissa was affected by the

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...

caused by the

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

, with numerous homes, guesthouses, shops, schools, and temples destroyed or damaged and fourteen reported deaths.

Transport

Mirissa is located on the A2 Highway, connecting

Wellawaya Wellawaya ( si, වැල්ලවාය, translit=Vællavāya; ta, வெல்லவாய, translit=Vellavāyā) is a town located in Monaragala District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. History On 25 August 1630 a major battle took place near Wel ...

. The

Mirissa railway station Mirissa Railway Station is a railway station on the coastal railway line of Sri Lanka. It is situated between Kamburugamuwa and Polwathumodara railway stations. It is from the railway line from the Colombo Fort Railway Station and from the Mat ...

is located, approximately to the east of Mirissa, on the

Coastal The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

or Southern Rail Line (connecting

through to Matara).

Facilities

* Mirissa Boat Harbour *

Attractions

* Mirissa beach and

Coconut Tree Hill Coconut Tree Hill is a lateritic headland in Mirissa, Sri Lanka located adjacent to the Indian Ocean. It is a popular tourist destination in the country and is located at a headland with a coconut plantation. Coconut Tree Hill, despite being ...

Whale Watching Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins ( cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. 2 ...

* Sri Sunandarama Temple

References

{{Commons category, Mirissa Populated places in Matara District Populated places in Southern Province, Sri Lanka Seaside resorts in Sri Lanka

History

Transport

Facilities

Attractions

See also

References